A Match Made in Heaven
by dublindarling
Summary: Wally ropes Artemis into his matchmaking scheme, but are they really the ones doing the matching? Robin/Zatanna and Spitfire.
1. Chapter 1

Wally knew the signs. It's not like he hadn't seen them before. The fidgeting when she walked into the room, the goofy grin that spread across his face when she looked his way. The way he talked about her and, sadly, to her. It was all too obvious and honestly, all too unexpected. He was sure there was another girl he had set his eyes on …

Wally was thinking about Robin, of course. Who else? Definitely not himself, nuh-uh, not a chance.

"Recognized: Zatanna, A03."

Wally shook his head to clear his thoughts, unwilling to delve deeper into whatever the hell that was. He grabbed a few bananas from the fruit basket perched on the kitchen counter and sped into the living room, plopping onto the couch as Robin jumped up eagerly. He slid down into the cushions, peeling his first banana with a satisfied smirk. "Ready to get your game on, lover boy?"

"Shut up, Wally," Robin replied through clenched teeth, shooting a quick glare behind him. "She's just a friend."

"And I'm just _really_ fast," Wally snarked back through a mouth full of banana mush. He crammed the rest of it into his mouth and shot the peel towards the garbage can in the kitchen, basketball style. It missed by a good foot, sliding to rest in the middle of the doorway. He shrugged carelessly and grabbed another, oblivious to his friend's eye rolling.

"You're an ass sometimes, y'know that, right?" Robin turned to the glowing teleporter with a shake of his head.

"And you're a dick," was the bright reply.

"Never heard that one before," muttered Robin. He didn't have to look to know that Wally was wearing his famous shit-eating grin. Instead, he chose to keep his gaze on the teleporter as a young magician stepped out of its light.

"Boys," her smile was friendly and her eyes seemed to be glowing in delight. Robin couldn't help but smile back. It must've been part of her powers or something.

"Zatanna," Wally greeted, the grin audible. Robin barely suppressed a groan. He really had no sense of subtlety. "Pleasure to see you again."

"I bet she wishes she could say the same," Robin snapped, spinning around to face his friend. But he was Batman's protegee for a reason, as was clear when he spun around just as quickly with a charming smile. "Hey, Zee. What's up?"

Wally tried not to laugh. He really did. And he sort of succeeded. He pursed his lips together, his eyes dancing in mirth. Robin was falling hard and fast and it was kind of adorably hilarious. Not that he'd ever admit it. He had of course noticed before, the first time they met Zatanna. What kind of best friend would he be if he hadn't? In any case, it was pretty damn obvious. It was part of the reason Wally didn't make a move. That, and she was a bit too young. He also seemed to have a thing for blondes lately. He wasn't one to have a type, but Zatanna definitely wasn't his.

But she was so Robin's.

"I am so happy, you don't even understand!" Zatanna threw her hands into the air, twirling around as she laughed gleefully. "My dad _finally_ let me out of the house. Granted, I had been sneaking out almost every night, but it's nice to have permission, you know?" She shrugged happily, grinning at the two boys. Robin laughed with her, but Wally could hear a nervous twang. Wally paused mid-chew to smirk. Oh, good. He was going to go for it.

Robin glanced over to his friend, brows furrowed. Wally gave him a nod, a grin, and a quick thumbs up. He turned back to Zatanna, took a deep breath, and let it out in a huff. He was going to do it, he had to do it. Wally vowed to harass him until the end of time if he didn't at least _try_.

"Um, Zee? Can I ask you something?" Robin rubbed the back of his neck nervously before noticing what he was doing and whipping it down to his side. He forced out a short laugh and clenched his fists. Wally had the strongest urge to face palm. He shoved his hands under his thighs and settled for a quiet groan.

"Sure!" Zatanna said brightly, crossing her arms with a shrug. "Could you make it snappy, though? I've still got a curfew and I need to say hi to the others."

"Uh, yeah. No problem." Robin crossed his own arms and slumped down almost unnoticeably. Except to a best friend. "I was wondering if you'd like to, uh …" No! Wally could tell he was chickening out. Why did he even associate with this kid?

"Like to what?" Zatanna leaned forward eagerly. Wally urged his friend on his mind, leaning forward with Zatanna. He could tell she was interested, why couldn't Robin?

"Um … Hang out at practice sometime?" And he chickened out. Wally slumped back with a sigh and reached for another banana, peeling it slowly. And he was so close, too. "We could always use another pair of hands. And feet, I guess."

"Yeah, that'd be nice." Zatanna smiled, obviously disappointed. After a moment, she sighed quietly and headed towards the corridor. "I'm going to go say hi to the others. See you guys around."

The boys murmured their goodbyes as Zatanna gave them a quick wave before sliding out of view. As soon as she did, Robin slumped his shoulders dejectedly and threw himself next to Wally on the couch. Much to Wally's dismay, he grabbed the last banana and began peeling it heart-breakingly slowly.

Silence reigned even after they had both finished their snacks. The two sat side by side, each immersed in their own minds. But Kid Flash wasn't known for his patience. If Robin wasn't going to talk, then he would make him.

"Dude," he laid a comforting hand on a caped shoulder. "There's always a next time. It's not the end of the world. I should know." He grinned, thinking the jab would cheer the boy up.

But it didn't. Robin jerked away and stood up stiffly, glaring down at his friend. "No, Wally. There isn't always a next time." He looked down forlornly. "I should know."

Wally jumped up, reaching a hand towards Robin. "Dick -"

"I have to go," Wally winced. Monotone, aka the Bat Voice. "I've got patrol." Wally watched silently as he marched away and disappeared in a flash of light.

Well, that went just wonderfully. Wally dragged himself back into the kitchen, his stomach still growling. Why couldn't he just have a best friend who was normal? Who wasn't afraid to just _talk_? He jerked open the door of the fridge and stuck his head inside angrily. Why did Dick have to be such a Bat all the time? It wouldn't hurt to actually explain what he was feeling for once. All Wally wanted to do was help, but no, no one can help the almighty Boy Wonder, the epitome of angst. He grabbed a pudding cup with a frown. Stupid Bats with their stupid issues.

A sudden shriek crashed through Wally's thoughts. He acted instinctively, dropping his snack and dashing over to save the day. The pudding cup hadn't even reached the ground when he found Artemis in his arms, a banana peel flying out from under her feet.

The two were frozen, staring at each other in horror, blushes rising in both of their faces. Wally didn't dare move. He was a deer stuck in head lights or, more accurately, the fierce stare of a grizzly.

"If you don't let go of me _right now_, I swear to god, I will _kill you_."

There she was. Wally dropped her just as suddenly as he caught her and held his hands up with a smirk. Artemis crashed to the tiled floor with another shriek. "Hey, hey. Being in my arms is like being in heaven. No wonder an angel fell into them, eh, Beautiful?"

"Eugh. You're disgusting," Artemis said, scrunching her nose in distaste as she pulled herself up. "Now get out of the way, I'm starving. And if you ate all the food _again_, I will personally make your life a living hell."

"Somebody's PMSing …" Wally muttered to himself, sheepishly turning away from Artemis' seething glare. "And you made me drop my pudding, so you shouldn't be saying anything."

"Is that right, Kid Stomach?" Artemis grabbed a cookie from Miss Martian's last batch, biting into with only a slight wince. "At least I accomplished one good deed today." She turned towards the fridge, barely missing the tongue poking out of Wally's mouth, which was accompanied by a ridiculous looking face. Actually, he was kind of relieved she didn't see that. It would only have been more fodder for the snark.

"So, where're the others? I thought I heard voices," Artemis turned back around with the carton of milk in hand. Wally faced her, a look of pure innocence masking his face. She narrowed her eyes. "I guess you must've scared them away."

"Hey!" protested Wally indignantly, waving his arms around. "I'll have you know Robin and Zatanna left of their own accord." He paused, looking down and placing a finger to his chin as Artemis glanced at him questioningly, the carton at her lips. "Well, I guess I kind of made Rob angry." He looked up to see Artemis shaking her head. "Not my fault he refuses to actually talk about his _obvious_ crush on Zee!" He exclaimed, throwing his hands up. "I, personally, blame Batman. Anyone dressed as a flying rodent cannot possibly be a fit person to raise an emotionally stable kid."

"He didn't seem to have any problems talking to me," Artemis smirked, leaving the carton on the counter before heading into the living room.

"What?" Wally stalked after her, truly confused. He stopped short, stumbling back a few paces when Artemis suddenly whipped around.

"He paid me a little visit last week, didn't he tell you?" she asked, an innocent smile forced across her face. "He knew better than to go to the Wall-man for girl advice. Smart kid, huh?"

"Some best friend," Wally muttered distastefully, scowling as he noticed the horror spreading across Artemis' features. "Oh, what now? Seriously, it never ends with you."

"He knows where I live," she whispered, horrified. "How the hell does he know where I live?"

"Oh, calm down," Wally rolled his eyes, ignoring yet another glare sent his way. "Like I said, Rob is Batman's kid. Angst and stalking come with the territory."

Artemis sighed, flopping onto the couch. "Whatever. Too late now." Wally shrugged and, realizing the conversation was clearly over, made his way back into the kitchen. Artemis was glad for the silence. She closed her eyes and leaned back into the soft cushions, smiling slightly. I nap definitely wouldn't hurt.

But what seemed like a whole minute later, a gust of wind lurched her out of her tranquility. She opened one eye regretfully, only to find Wally grinning down at her. She groaned and closed her eye again, rubbing the bridge of her nose. "Do I want to know?"

"I've got the greatest idea!" Wally said enthusiastically, pulling Artemis up by the forearms. Much protesting was involved, including a good shove. But of course that didn't phase the speedster. "C'mon, Arty, listen for a sec, would ya?"

Artemis crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes. "Don't call me Arty, _Wallace_."

"I'll take that as a 'yes Wally, of course Wally'," he grinned playfully, doing an excited jig on the spot.

"Okay, I'll give," Artemus said reluctantly. "What's got you so excited?"

"Well, the way I see it, Robin and Zatanna are basically already together. I mean, they both obviously like each other, right?" Artemis nodded carefully, her curiosity slightly peaked, if only to see what hair brained plan Kid Idiot had come up with this time. "So all they really need is a nudge in the right direction. AmIrightoramIright?"

Wally, still grinning, was vibrating on the spot excitedly. Artemis shook her head, trying to suppress a fond smile. "Slow down there, Flash Boy," she grabbed his arms with a tight grip and looked him dead in the eye. He seemed to calm down, but in a strange way. His eyes widened slightly and his stupid little grin slid into a round "o". Artemis shot him one last questioning look and pulled away, placing her hand on her hips. Strangely enough, she couldn't seem to look him straight in the eye. That definitely wasn't like her, and she definitely didn't like it.

Silence for a few strained moments as they glanced around the room, not daring to look at each other. Finally, Wally gathered up the nerve to restart the conversation. "So?" he finally asked, his grin returning as his thoughts veered back to his brilliant plan. "What do you think?"

"About what?" Artemis sighed internally, plopping back onto the couch. Good. He was back to normal. None of that weird gazey stuff. "You never actually told me what you going for, here."

"Matchmaking!" Wally burst out, unable to hold it in any longer. "All they need is a little bit of a push from us and, voila! We've got ourselves a happy couple."

"Are you serious?" asked Artemis, genuinely worried that he was. "Because that is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard, and that's coming from someone who knows you."

"Of course I'm serious!" he cried happily. "This will totally solve _all_ of their problems. Plus, we won't have to see Rob mope about it all the time."

"I don't know about this, Wally," she said warily, pulling herself up from the couch to face him. "I'm not so sure Robin would actually like this …"

"C'mon, Artemis!" he whined, bobbing down to emphasize his point. "Just think about it for a sec. How great would it be if it actually worked?"

Artemis turned away, rubbing the back of her neck tiredly, the hum of Wally's vibrations giving her a bit of a headache. She couldn't believe she was actually considering doing this. But … it could work. Could. All she really wanted was for her friends - her family - to be happy. And if that meant actually forcing Robin to be with Zatanna, then so be it. It was his own fault, really. If Robin was going to be such a wimp about it, she would just have to do it herself. It was the only way to get things done, after all.

And anyway, if Robin was distracted by Zatanna, maybe he would finally stop snooping around in her own life.

"Fine, I'll do it," she muttered, turning to face Wally as he was mid-jump. Dork. "But we have to be careful, got it? I'm all for them, but we could really screw this up."

"Trust me, Artemis, I know," Wally said earnestly, placing a light hand on her shoulder. "But what's life without a little risk? I only want my friend to be happy. And he really wants to go for it, too. I can see it whenever he talks to her. But he's so scared. And god, I don't blame him." He paused, pulling his hand away and looking to the ground. Artemis gazed at him intently, barely noticing her own hand glide over the spot where his had just been. "If I were him … I just - I don't think I'd be able to go out and do what he does. Every day."

Wally looked back up at Artemis, his eyes glinting with what looked like tears. If it were any other day, Artemis would've called him over dramatic and been done with it. But he just looked so sincere, so upset for his friend, and that wasn't something she associated with Wally West. "He's not even scared of it, Artemis. The jumps, the flips, all of that ridiculous acrobat stuff. Not one bit. Not even after …" He paused and shook his head quickly, letting the thought fly away into the depths of his mind. "But then when he starts to get close to someone, and I mean _really_ close, he just shuts down. I know, I've seen it. That's why he needs this push. He won't do it without us. I don't think he can."

Artemis stood, rigid, in shock. Who was this boy? And what the hell had he done with the Kid Idiot she knew and … well, knew. "Kid, I didn't know that -"

"Plus, he really needs to get some action, y'know what I mean?"

Oh. There he was. "Again, you're disgusting," Artemis deadpanned, crossing her arms and trying to ignore the luridly bright grin of one Wally West. "Let's hurry this up, shall we? I'm exhausted and you still haven't actually explained the plan of yours."

"Wait, what time is it?" asked a suddenly panicked Wally. He dashed into the kitchen and the next thing Artemis knew, a slew of curses began bombarding her ears. She rolled her eyes and made to follow him and see what all the fuss was about, but just as she made the first step towards the door, another gust of wind forced her back a few steps.

"Dammit, Wally, stop doing that!" she forced out of clenched teeth as he grabbed her arms to steady her.

"Whatever you want, Blondie," he grinned calmly, but she could see he was itching to move. "Listen, it's like, ten minutes past my curfew, so I gotta run back home. Digits?"

"No way," she pulled away forcefully, hands up in front of her, palms facing out indignantly. "There is no way in _hell_ I would _ever_ give you my number. No. Way."

"Aw, come _on_!" he whined, stomping his foot impatiently. Artemis raised an eyebrow and as soon as he realized what he had just done, Wally took a long, deep breath, and held still.

For about two seconds.

He zipped forward, too fast for Artemis to react, and pulled her into a huge bear hug. "Wally, what the fu-"

"Aha!" he cried triumphantly, holding Artemis' phone above his head like a trophy. Artemis' hand immediately reached behind her, feeling her back pocket. It was empty.

"Wally, give me my phone back, you moron!" she screeched, lunging forward as Wally typed away above her reach. She jumped up, but to no avail. He sped behind her, stashing her phone back in her pocket almost unnoticeably. She barely saw his quick salute and insufferable grin before he was gone in a flash of light, the robotic voice announcing his departure.

Artemis shook her head tiredly and rubbed her hand down her face as she leaned against the back of the couch. She slid down slowly, eventually hitting the floor and pulling her knees to her chest. Her phone fell out of her pocket in the process, so she snatched it up from the floor and snapped it open, making sure Wally hadn't screwed with it too much.

But to her never ending surprise, there was nothing. Just the one text he sent to himself. She scrolled through her contacts quickly, but nothing had changed there either. Huh.

She crossed her arms and placed them on her knees before leaning her forehead down, her phone clutched in her hand. She closed her eyes with a small smile. It was quiet there, in her little cocoon. Dark. Cool. Peaceful. She was drifting off into her own colorful dreamland when she felt her phone buzz. She sighed and grudgingly pulled the phone into her cave, the screen illuminating even the darkest shadows in the folds of her jeans.

Assuming it was just her mom checking in (because who else would actually want to talk to her?), Artemis opened the text without bothering to check the number.

"Here's my number, please don't delete it - Wally"

Artemis rolled her eye and looked up to the ceiling, praying to whatever was out there for just a bit more patience, because her supply was most definitely running out. She looked back down at her phone, though, and reluctantly saved him as a contact, reminding herself that she did have a blocking feature.

Just before she shoved it back into her pocket, the phone buzzed again. Artemis huffed impatiently, but opened the text. Another from Wally. She had to remind herself that two texts definitely did not render blocking an option. Maybe three, four, if he was lucky.

"And it's not just for business, Blondie. You ever want to talk, I'm all ears."

She just couldn't help but smile.

And neither could Robin. Well, his smile was a bit more of a smirk. He pulled his head out of the doorway and turned to Zatanna, who was crouched behind him with a manic grin. "The operation," he whispered as they both leaped up. "is a go."

"Alright," Zatanna laughed quietly, raising her hand for a high five. Of course Robin complied, but as their hands connected, he curled his fingers around hers and brought their arms down. They grinned happily at each other before they strolled down the hallway, swinging their arms back and forth as they discussed phase two.

Who said Bats had emotional issues anyway?


	2. Chapter 2

Of course Artemis knew Mondays were the default worst day of the week, but this Monday happened to be particularly horrible.

She snapped her eyes open every few moments, staring bleary eyed at the page of English notes that rested on the desk in front of her, trying to evade the sandman that seemed to be haunting her. Well, that's what she got for falling asleep at HQ. And for not realizing that Red Tornado shut down the zeta beam tubes during the night. Whose idiotic idea was that, anyway? So when she fell off the couch and realized that it was four in the morning and that her mother was actually going to skin her alive, Artemis was forced to hijack Robin's spare bike.

And thus commenced her impromptu three hour road trip.

In the pouring rain.

On a school morning.

Artemis scrunched her eyes closed and rubbed them viciously with the heels of her palms. She would get through this lesson, even if it meant listening to the teacher drone on and on about some guy named Sydney Carton. She probably should've paid more attention the past few days, but that was the past, and this is now. And apparently the now still contained notes overrun by doodles of bows and arrows and red lightning bolts.

Wait, since when did she doodle Flash symbols? She glared down at the notebook, her pen clutched in her hand, and practically slammed the tip onto the page. She scribbled out the distractedly drawn doodles, tearing into the next page in her single-mindedness. Once Artemis was satisfied with the bolt-free page, she set down her pen and looked up at the still droning teacher. Thank god she had a free period after this. The exhaustion was obviously affecting her mind, so a nap was definitely the way to go.

Thankfully, after five more grueling minutes, the bell finally trilled its way through the school. Artemis pulled herself out of the confines of her desk and gathered her things as quickly as she could, which wasn't all that quick that morning. The tottering tower of books now grasped to her chest, Artemis dragged herself to the door, trailing behind a couple mindless yet harmless rich boy jocks.

But remember, this was a Monday. A particularly horrible Monday at that. She should've seen it coming. It was that kind of day. Mindless Jock Number One (who reminded Artemis of Superboy, in all honesty), in a move she was not expecting, held the heavy wooden door open for her. She smiled in thanks, always appreciative of a little bit of chivalry, and made to step into the raging current of students they liked to call a hallway. But she wasn't even halfway through the doorway when that same heavy wooden door came slamming into her back, making her and her books crash to the tiled floor.

"Nobody wants you here, you Suicide Slums Slut."

That was it. Artemis clenched her fists and pushed herself into a feral crouch, her back still to the jocks. That was the last fucking straw. She jumped up and around, her glare turning their snickering into nervous laughter. She stalked forward, fists still clenched and ready at her sides. "Well, boys," she hissed, raising one of her fists. "I think it's time you learned what we Suicide Slum girls can _really_ do."

She pulled her arm back, the consequences streaming through her mind. Grounding, detention, expulsion, even. She narrowed her eyes. Nope, it would still be worth it. Just one punch, that's all she wanted. And that's what they would get.

But just as soon as she pulled her arm back, it was pulled down by a cool, restraining hand. The hand pulled her back as the pair of jocks dashed away, nervous laughter back to unrelenting snickering. Artemis glared at their retreating backs, adrenaline and rage still pulsing through her veins. As soon as they turned the corner, though, she slumped down, the exhaustion kicking back in, reminding her of her lack of sleep.

Artemis jerked away from the hand still loosely hanging to her arm. She hugged her arms around herself dejectedly as she turned to face the owner of the hand that regrettably saved her from herself. He was crouched down, gathering her scattered notes and carefully stacking them into a neat pile. And as if the wind swept orange hair wasn't enough of a giveaway, bright green eyes peeked up at her own downcast grey.

Wally. Of course it would be Wally.

He stood up silently and stretched out his hands, offering Artemis her things. She snatched them from his grasp and pulled them against her chest, avoiding eye contact and even just looking at him, missing the concern so clearly written in his frown.

"What do you want, West?" she growled after another moment of silence, the hallways emptying as time ticked on. The laughter of carefree teenagers faded gradually, leaving only the two heroes and the sparse thumping of running-late feet.

Wally grinned tightly and shrugged. "Can't I visit my favorite archer?"

"In case you hadn't noticed, Kid Oblivious, my name is Artemis. Not Speedy or Red Arrow or whatever the hell he calls himself," she turned sharply, ponytail swinging behind her, and headed towards her locker at the end of the hall, knowing her unexpected companion would follow. "Also, I happen to be female. The more you know."

Wally laughed to himself quietly, grinning as he leaped after Artemis. Back to normal, then. Thank god. Strangely enough, he really sort of hated it when she was genuinely upset. Not the Wally-I'm-going-to-kill-you kind of upset, though. That kind was way too much fun.

"So," Artemis began as Wally skidded next to her. "Pressing question." She spun around suddenly and put a hand to his chest, cherishing his wide eyes as she balled his shirt into her fist, pulling him down to her eye level. "How do you know where I go to school?"

This was exactly the kind of thing Wally hoped wouldn't happen. How the hell was he supposed to answer her? His eyes darted around, avoiding Artemis' gaze and taking in the sight of the shining new lockers, hoping he would find inspiration somewhere. _Anywhere_. He couldn't just tell her the truth. As much as he wanted to, that would require giving away Dick's ID, and that was a definite no-no. So he took a deep breath and looked straight into Artemis' glinting grey eyes, hoping they wouldn't silence him as they had the day before.

"Uh," he faltered. He could already see that she knew what he was about to say was going to be a big fat lie. Her mouth pulled to the side in disgust as her eyes left his gaze with a disappointed sheen. "It was in the Justice League database? Um, yeah. It wasn't too hard to hack." The lie took hold in his mind as he grinned with false confidence. "Rob helped a bit. Oh, and Red Tornado gave us the password! A little please and thank you can work wonders."

"Whatever," Artemis spat as she pushed him away from her and watched him flail wildly. She turned to the row of lockers behind them and counted down carefully until she was sure she had the right one. She spun her dial around with a vengeance and slammed open her locker before whipping around to face the sheepish speedster. "Don't tell me the truth, then. It's not like I can be trusted or anything."

"Listen, Artemis," Wally winced as she shoved her books into her already dumpster-like locker. It's funny, he always thought she would be a bit of a neat freak. He leaned on the locker next to hers, arms crossed and shoulders shrugged. "I'm not here to fight. It's just that you didn't text me yesterday, and I was wondering if you still wanted to go through with the plan."

Artemis turned to an innocent looking Wally, gaping incredulously, a notebook frozen halfway into the locker. "Wally, it hasn't even been a _day_. Haven't you ever heard of patience?"

"What is this patience you speak of?" he asked, cocking his with a pondering look. Artemis almost laughed. Almost. She caught herself before the crime against everything she stood for could be committed. Instead, she heaved a large sigh and shut her locker with a quiet click. This boy was going to be the death of her.

"Fine. I've got a free period now and I'm assuming you do too. And if you don't, I will kick your ass for cutting." Wally nodded sagely as he threw an arm around Artemis' shoulders, pointedly ignoring her own pointed eye roll. "The cafeteria's a bit crowded this period, but it's either there or the library, so -"

"No way," interrupted Wally, steering Artemis towards the glowing red exit sign at the end of the hall. She tried to struggle out of his grasp, but he only held on tighter and leaned down to her ear. "The walls have ears," he whispered, freezing Artemis to the spot and sending a strange shiver down her spine. She tried to shake it off, but she couldn't seem to do it. She looked at him, only inches away. They were both completely still, completely silent. They were like magnets, slowly attracting one another. So close, so close …

But all of a sudden, Wally pulled away, looking straight ahead with what Artemis swore was a forced grin. "And anyway," he continued at his normal energetic tone, dragging a still frozen Artemis along. "I've got the perfect place in mind."

Artemis, finally broken out of her strange reverie, raised her eyebrows as he pushed the door open and held it, waving her through. "You know, Wally," she smirked, strolling out into the Gotham sunshine and smog. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were asking me out on a date."

The door slammed shut as Wally stumbled out, green eyes wide with horror. "NO! No, no. No. Oh _god_, no," he stammered, trailing behind Artemis, who led them out the front gate. She laughed and shook her head fondly as Wally continued to deny her accusation, but she couldn't help but acknowledge the tiny little sinking feeling that seemed to plague her stomach. It couldn't have been disappointment. It just couldn't have been.

"Okay, Kid," she sighed and rubbed the bridge of her nose, interrupting Wally mid-rant. "Where're you taking me?" He froze for a moment before straightening, grin again in place. He reached behind him and pulled his signature pair of red goggles from his back pocket, snapping them over his eyes cockily. Oh, she was not going to like this.

"Well, Central City for a start."

Nope, definitely didn't like it.

"Wally, what do you think you're doing? Put me down!" She screeched as Wally swept her into his arms mechanically, as if he was used to the motion. This was obviously happening way too often.

"Hold on tight, Beautiful," he advised, but Artemis was already grasping his neck for dear life. This may happen often, but that didn't mean she had to like it.

Just before the two sped off, Artemis caught a glimpse of that freshman - Dick Grayson, Bette called him -sneaking back onto campus. He seemed unusually happy for a kid who was probably going to get caught for cutting class. She saw him laugh as his bright blue eyes found her gaze, but the sound was lost in the whipping of the wind as Wally took off, already dashing past the Gotham city limits.

Now that they were running, the wind pulling at her hair, the world silent but for the whisper of that wind and the thrum of Wally's heart, it was natural. Natural that her head would find that perfect spot under his chin, natural that her hands would tighten around his neck. Natural that his heartbeat, pounding with each step he took, would soothe her. Soothe her just as her mother's old Vietnamese lullabies would, when she was just a young girl growing up in an assassin's world, the only world she knew.

But she knew a different world now. A world where her friends would protect her. A world where a boy would gather her up in his arms and run to the ends of the world with her. Because Artemis knew Wally would. It was just who he was, even if she would never tell him so.

So instead, she smiled. The first true smile in months, maybe even years. Just knowing that he would be there for her, that the entire team would always be there for her, it was overwhelming. So she closed her eyes and smiled, letting Wally tug her closer, because it was what she had always needed.

Until she realized he was pulling her closer so she wouldn't fall to the ground as he skidded to a stop in a grimy and graffiti colored alley. She coughed viciously as the dust and the dirt flew into her lungs, making it hard to breathe.

"Sorry, sorry!" Wally cried, putting Artemis on her feet gently before raising his hands in surrender. "Gotta stop in alleys when I'm in civvies, it's a rule!"

"Whatever, Wally, it's fine," Artemis hacked a final cough and straightened her ponytail meticulously. "Let's just hurry it up, I've got class in an hour."

"Got it," he said, grabbing her hand and pulling her down to the main road. "It's just around the corner anyway. You'll love it."

Artemis looked around her in amazement, her hand still clutched by Wally's. Everything here was so … clean. Open, clear - happy, if a city could be. The bright colored cars whizzed by the parks filled with happily playing children and families. The buildings towered around them, but not like Gotham. In Gotham, you felt like you were suffocating, the skyscrapers collapsing in on you. But here, in Central City, they were guardians, watching over the city peacefully. Now this was a place to live.

"Here we are!" a bright-eyed Wally said, glancing down happily at Artemis. She looked at the little open air cafe and new immediately why Wally would like it so much. It was small, but in a way that everyone knew each other. Customers were leaning over to each others tables, striking up conversations. The employees chit-chatted happily as they passed each other, laughing at little mishaps and snide comments. Artemis smiled back up at Wally. This was definitely his kind of place.

But then she glanced down and realized their hands were still clasped together, fingers interwoven. She tugged hers away with a nervous laugh, looking back up at the speedster. But he had already turned away, slumping towards the hostess. Artemis frowned before trailing behind, trying to ignore the lingering warmth of his hand.

"Hey, Marie," Artemis overheard him say dejectedly. She crept up beside him and placed a hand on his shoulder. An apology, though she didn't particularly know what for. He tried to perk himself up when he felt her presence beside him, but she only rolled her eyes. He really was a horrible liar.

"Hey, Wall-man," replied the hostess behind the teetering old podium, an older woman with fly-away grey hair. Her smile was infectious, so as she turned her grin to Artemis, she couldn't help but give a small smile back. "Table for two, I assume?"

"Yeah, thanks a bunch," Wally returned, the infectiousness of the smile finally getting the better of him. Marie pulled two menus from behind the podium and edged her way out to lead them to their table. "You get a new haircut?"

"I did, yes," she answered, her face glowing with pleasure as she dodged her way around an incoming waiter. She ran her free hand through her wild looking hair. "Do you like it? I'm not so sure -"

"It looks great, actually. Really suits you."

Marie's face flushed with pleasure as she set the menus down at a small table for two. "Aw, shucks, Wally. You're such a little gentleman. You have fun on your date, now!"

"But we're not -" Artemis tried to interject, but Wally hushed her with a small smile as Marie waved a goodbye, only turning back to his companion after Marie was out of sight.

"C'mon, Artie," he said as he plopped down at the table. "Let the lady have her fun."

"Since when are you such a gentleman anyway?" Artemis asked as she pulled out her own chair, sliding in so her stupid school skirt wouldn't ride up.

"Iunno," he mumbled through the bread stick he had already stuffed in his mouth. He swallowed thickly before answering. "Since always, I guess. S'what Aunt Iris always told me to be, and let me tell you, you don't want to be on Aunt Iris' bad side."

Artemis grabbed her menu thoughtfully and slumped down in her chair. Thoughts ran through her head just as quickly as she scanned the pages. She had never seen this side of Wally West before. It was strange. But also strangely nice for a change. She hid her growing smile behind her menu. If she didn't know any better, Artemis would say Wally was starting to grow on her.

With a rumble of her stomach, she finally turned her attention back to the menu in her hands. But her eyes, like always, immediately honed in on the price. And that was when she realized that Wally had pulled her out of school on a whim. And what did that mean?

Her wallet, though woefully empty, was stashed in her coat pocket.

The coat that was hanging in her locker, back at Gotham Academy.

"Wally, we gotta go," she slammed the menu down on the table, making what was left of the bread sticks rattle around in their bowl. She made to stand up, her chair scratching against the floor as she pushed out from the small table. But Wally's hand had reached out instinctively and grabbed her arm before she could make it any further.

"Hey, what's the rush?" he asked calmly, pulling her back down. He leaned back in his chair, tilting it on the back legs as he threw his arms behind his head. Artemis hung her head, shameful, and placed a hand over her eyes. Wally leaned forward again, chair slamming down with a thump, and tried to make out the mumble that passed through her lips. "Sorry, didn't catch that."

"I said, I don't have any _money_," she hissed, snapping her head up and her hands to the tabletop.  
>Wally's eyes brightened in realization despite the anger spitting from his companion's. He laughed slightly and shook his head.<p>

"Hey, no problem," he informed her, grabbing yet another bread stick. "I got my allowance yesterday, and I was going to spend it on food anyway, so," he shrugged and stuck the bread stick in his mouth, breaking off a piece and chewing it with gusto.

"There is no way in _hell_ I am taking any charity from _you_," Artemis insisted, snatching the rest of the bread stick from Wally's unsuspecting hand and slamming it onto her bread plate, breaking it into pieces. "And would you stop eating? It's rude and irritating, just like you."

"Oh, low blow there, Artie," he quipped with a roll of the eyes. "And it's not charity, it's generosity. And you can pay me back later. See? Crisis averted."

All Artemis could do in the face of his logic was slump down and sulk. Wally duly ignored her, turning back to his menu with a small smirk. That jerk.

But without conversation, the atmosphere became tense and, dare she think it, awkward. Wally set his menu back down on the table and darted his eyes around nervously, avoiding any sort of eye contact. Artemis slumped down further and crossed her arms, keeping her eyes trained on the napkin in her lap. The silence was unbearable, but neither dared to break it.

After what felt like hours, but was really only three or four minutes, a young waitress pranced over to their table, smile cheerful and pad of paper and pen in hand. Much to Artemis' unwanted chagrin, Wally perked up immediately, eyes dancing in anticipation.

"Hi, I'm Jenny!" she introduced herself, her brown curls bouncing with each word she spoke. "Can I take your order?"

"Hey, I'm Wally," Artemis groaned loudly, earning a scathing look from the red-head. But he quickly recovered and turned back to the waitress, skeevy smile in place. "And you can take my - OW!"

Artemis pulled her foot back to her side of the table, smirking with satisfaction. Served him right for flirting with other girls while he was out with her.

And no, Artemis was not jealous. She just didn't want to be seen with an immature flirt, that's all.

"I'll have a small Caesar salad with extra croutons, please." Artemis folded the menu and held it up for Jenny to take, smiling innocently. The waitress jotted down the order with a nod and grabbed the menu before turning expectantly to Wally, who was still grumbling to himself. He finally looked up after a few good coughs from Artemis.

"Yeah, I'll have a double bacon cheeseburger with a triple order of fries and a chocolate shake," he rattled off automatically. After a moment of silence, with only the scratch of the waitress' pen reaching their ears, Artemis huffed and sent another kick the speedster's way. "What now?" he cried, pulling his feet up onto his chair indignantly. Artemis shook her head in frustration and nodded pointedly towards Jenny. Wally looked between them blankly for a few moments before realization dawned on his face. "Oh, yeah. Please?"

"So much for being a gentleman," muttered Artemis, earning a laugh from Jenny as she took the other menu from Wally, who smiled up at her apologetically.

"You guys are a such a cute couple," she declared, ignorant of the horrified expressions spreading across said couple's face. "I'll be back with your food in a few."

"She is not my girlfriend!" Wally called out, but it fell upon deaf ears. Artemis leaned forward with a moan, rubbing the bridge of her nose. She might just have to take the rest of the day off for the migraine that was definitely coming on.

"Why did I agree to come with you, again?" she asked flatly.

"Because we need to talk about the plan."

"And why did I agree to _that_, again?"

"Artemis, come _on_," Wally pleaded, throwing his hands in the air in exasperation. "We're doing this for Robin, remember?"

"Right, for Robin," she sighed, pulling her hand away from her face to look Wally in the eye. "So. Plan. What is it?"

"Uh," he mumbled, sliding down in his seat. "Actually, I was hoping you'd work on that front. I'm more of an action kind of guy."

She had no words for him. She stared, gaping and shaking her head. "Are you serious?" He only nodded encouragingly with a nervous smile. Artemis heaved a large breath, defeated. "Fine."

Wally straightened himself with excitement, enthusiasm returning in droves. "Great! So, got any ideas?"

Artemis leaned back languidly, arched fingers glued at the tips and tapping her chin thoughtfully. "Well, we could go with the cliche rout. Y'know, I invite Zatanna out while you ask Robin to the same place. Then ditch 'em." She shrugged and flopped her hands back into her lap. "Never seems to work, though. Always goes wrong on TV, in the movies. But y'never know."

"That," began Wally before pausing for his adored dramatic effect. "Is totally genius! Seriously, Artemis. I don't see how that could go wrong. Movies are stupid, anyway."

Artemis just couldn't stop the beaming smile that spread across her face. "You're a moron," she laughed, eyes twinkling. "You know that, right?"

"Of course I do!" he exclaimed, leaning towards her excitedly. She found herself leaning forward just as enthusiastically, unable to wipe the grin off of her face. So what if he was endearing? It was only sometimes, anyway. "There was this one time …"

And that's how the rest of the meal passed. Artemis and Wally, sword enemies, exchanging embarrassing stories just for the fun of it. And the weird thing was that Artemis couldn't remember the last time she had this much fun, this last time her face actually hurt from smiling. Why now? What changed? She didn't know. She watched fondly as he flailed his arms about, illustrating his latest phys ed mishap. Maybe nothing changed. Maybe all they need was a little more time.

"And that," he concluded, slamming his hands down on the table as the waitress placed the check down with a quiet laugh. "Is how I, Wally Rudolph West, got a black eye climbing a rope."

"You're such an idiot," Artemis laughed as Wally pulled his wallet out of his pocket, grinning madly. Her expression hardened as she watched him pull out a few green notes. "How much do I owe you?"

"Zilch," he waved away her concerns, sliding away from the table and stretching out as he stood.

"No," Artemis replied firmly, pushing her chair roughly, the silverware left on the table clattering together. "I told you I'd pay you back. Now how much do I owe you?"

"Can't I just buy my friend some lunch? Jeez, Artemis, what's the big deal?" he asked as he stepped towards her, exasperation layering his voice.

"I'll tell you what the big deal is," Artemis narrowed her eyes menacingly, taking her own step towards the insistent speedster. But she never did get to tell him that big deal.

"Wally, watch out!"

The pair turned towards the cry, reflexes kicking in. But they didn't see anyone. No, their view was unfortunately blocked by the table flying in their direction.

Yep, Mondays were definitely the worst.


End file.
